An Open Letter To Those Who Believe Depression and Anxiety Aren’t Real or Are Made Up

I honestly wish you were right, but I’m up for discussing how wrong you are and backing it with personal experience — whether mine or that of those I’ve lost to these conditions.

Photo by Ümit Bulut on Unsplash

I’m not sure why anyone would desire to completely isolate themselves at home, not answer calls or texts — or even be able to look at their phone some days. Why they’d actively decide not to eat, not shower, and stay in bed all day? I mean even lazy people eventually get hungry or muster up the energy to shower.

I force myself, but man there are days where I get it. On days, if I was to have it my way or at least, didn’t have the willpower I do to fight back, I’d be bedridden, isolated, not eating, and not showering. Not answering calls or texts, not being a friend to my friends, a son to my parents, and so on and so forth. My question to those who honestly don’t believe in how serious of conditions depression and anxiety can be, is why in the world would anyone “fake” such behavior? What would they possibly stand to gain from such antics?

You can’t fake real genuine depression or anxiety, at least not over the long term. It’s not sustainable and there are…